Judge orders ban on Praluent sales

A federal judge granted Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) a permanent injunction banning U.S. sales of rival cholesterol-lowering drug Praluent alirocumab from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN) and Sanofi (Euronext:SAN; NYSE:SNY), citing irreparable harm due to infringement of patents protecting Amgen's Repatha evolocumab.

The U.S. District Court of the District of Delaware granted a 30-day delay on the injunction to allow Regeneron and Sanofi an opportunity to appeal "and/or to encourage the parties to reach an appropriate business resolution," according to Judge Sue Robinson's decision. She described "the public interest of having a choice in drugs" as a factor that favored Regeneron and Sanofi as she considered her ruling...